The awesome thing about YouTube is that it brings much more to the table than just short-form prank videos, beauty vlogs, and product reviews. The popular video sharing platform also provides fascinating movies to watch, sometimes even for free. For most people, not having to spend extra money to watch an entertaining film at the end of a busy day is an enormous perk. If you’re one such viewer, here are a few free films currently on YouTube that we recommend you check out immediately.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Chlöe Grace Moretz is the star of The Miseducation of Cameron Post. This emotional 2018 movie is about a teenager living in the early ’90s whose life gets flipped upside down when she gets caught hooking up with another female student in the back of a car. Chlöe’s character Cameron is forcibly sent to a treatment center in a small town called God’s Promise. The purpose of the center is to try to convert LGBTQ individuals ⏤ using completely unethical methods ⏤ into heterosexuals. Anyone who saw Boy Erased knows exactly how well that’s going to go.
In Time
In Time stars Amanda Seyfried, Justin Timberlake, Olivia Wilde, Matt Bomer, and Alex Pettyfer in the leading roles. Time is equivalent to money in this dystopian universe, and for those who are poor, this means that your last day of life could arrive pretty quickly. The wealthy individuals know they have plenty of time on the clock and therefore feel more powerful than ever. Time thieves and the government end up being the villains of this tale, which at times gets quite philosophical as it reaches its climax.
LOL
Miley Cyrus and Demi Moore play mother and daughter in LOL. This 2012 romantic comedy focuses on a rebellious teenage girl named Lola (also known as Lol) as she navigates high school, friendships, and romantic relationships, which are constantly in flux. 16-year-old Lol keeps track of everything going on in her life in a detailed diary — which her mother uncovers. This major breach of trust causes all manner of discord in their home, and things get way worse before they get better for the mother-daughter duo.
Trust
When an innocent middle school-aged girl named Annie connects with her first “boyfriend” online, she thinks she’s in love. She’s never met him, but his charming words make her feel like she’s on top of the world. When they finally meet in person, 14-year-old Annie realizes he’s much older than he claimed, and the most inappropriate thing happens. After the fact, her parents force her to go to therapy because she’s in denial about what happened. However, her father takes action to obsessively seek out revenge.
Jonathan
Bill Oliver directed this 2018 movie about a man who is living life with a split personality. One of the personalities, Jonathan, takes possession of their shared body during the day. The other, John, takes over at night. For a long time, they’re able to juggle things evenly and keep their separate lives in balance. Eventually, Jonathan is unable to hold it together. One of the personalities must gain control, and the other must perish. Will the best man win? You’ll just have to watch and find out.
Before We Go
Chris Evans stars in Before We Go, a fantastic free movie on YouTube that also includes Alice Eve and Emma Fitzpatrick. The 2014 movie tells a love story of two strangers who experience a serendipitous encounter in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. The sparks that fly between them have the potential to change both of their lives, especially when they realize that they want to spend the night having a shared adventure in the city.
Stuck in Love
Stuck in Love is a 2012 romantic drama starring Greg Kinnear, Nat Wolff, Lily Collins, Logan Lerman, Jennifer Connelly, and Kristen Bell. Over the course of one interesting year filled with many ups and downs, a writer, his two teenage kids, and his ex-wife deal with the many complexities relating to their love lives. This film has surprising depth and is especially relatable if you enjoy putting pen to paper. Kinnear and Connelly in particular shine in their respective roles, and if you were a fan of Men, Women, and Children, then you’re going to love Stuck in Love.
My Sister’s Keeper
Before Cameron Diaz retired from acting, she starred in My Sister‘s Keeper. The heart-wrenching 2009 movie also features Abigail Breslin and Alec Baldwin in leading roles. When two parents realize that they don’t have the right blood type to save their firstborn daughter‘s life, they decide to give birth to a second daughter for the sole purpose of rescuing the first. Eventually, the second-born daughter grows tired of being “used for parts” in the hospital on behalf of her older sister. She files for emancipation and sets off a court case that rocks the entire family to its core.
Fisherman’s Friends
Fisherman’s Friends is a 2019 movie that sends a message of hope, even in a moment when you might be feeling hopeless. It’s about a London music executive who has become quite cynical because of disappointments he’s faced in his life. But after he overhears beautiful singing coming from a group of 10 Cornish fishermen, he regains slight hope that being a successful music executive might still be his destiny.
Be sure to catch any or all of these free YouTube movies before they scurry away from the platform!